Folding box.



B. B. McFADDEN.

FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 19M. RENEWED APR. 2?. 1915.

1,142,186. Patented June 8, 1915.

M s 3 i 8 i z 5 i i 144 I i 1& g i i I I f I l 12- L :13 E 13 E 1(EMII/ANVENTOR WITNESSES WWm BY 4- I 7 ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS C0,,PHOTO-LINN). WASHINGION. D C.

"vide a folding which the parts will be securely held in p U TED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. MOFADDEN, 0F BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK.

1 1 FOLDINGBOX. g

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Application filed February 14, 1914, Serial No. 818,730. Renewed April27, 1915. Serial No. 24,347.

1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. MoFAn- DEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing *at'Bin'ghamton, in the county of Broome and toprovidea simple, practical, and eificient folding box of inexpensiveconstruction, adapted to be shipped in perfectly flat form and capableof being easily and quickly arranged for use, and ac apted also to havethe foldable parts fit flat against each other,

without bulging, so, that the box will present substantially theappearance of an ordinary box. a

A further object of the invention is to probox of this character, in

operative position, so that it will be impossible for the same to becomedisengaged by rough handling or hard usage, and unfolding, particularlywhen the box has received its contents.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed outin the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within thescope of the claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a foldingbox constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the body of the box, the cover or top beingremoved. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is aplan view of the blank. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionalview of one end of the box.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, in which is illustrated thepreferredembodiment of the invention, the folding box is constructedfrom a blank 1 consisting of a single piece of card board, paste board,or similar mate rial, and comprising a central rectangular portion 2,and foldable sides and ends 3 and 4. The box is of telescopic form, thecover 5 and the body 6 being of identically the same construction, withthe exception that the cover is made of suflicient size to fit over thebody, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Adescription, therefore,of one of such membersof the box will be sufiicient to afford a clearunderstanding of the construction of both. The central rectangularportion 2 of the blank may be either of square or oblong form to providea box of the desired shape, the said portion 2 constituting the bottomor top of the box, accordingly as it constitutes a part of the blank ofthe cover or the body.

The box may be constructed of any size, and the foldable sides 3 arehinged on parallel longitudinal score lines 7 to the sides of thecentral rectangular portion2, and are provided with terminal flaps 8hinged on transverse score lines 9 and foldable inwardly transversely ofthe box when the sides 3 are swung into a position perpendicular to theplane of the central portion 2 of the blank. The foldable ends 4 arehinged on parallel transversely disposed score lines 10 to the ends ofthe central rectangular portion 2, and they are provided with foldableflaps 11 and hinged foot pieces 12. The flaps 11 are hinged to thefoldable sides 4 on transverse score lines 13, and the foot pieces 12are hinged on parallel transversely disposed score lines 14 to thefoldable flaps 11 at the outer sides thereof. The foldable ends 4 areadapted to be swung to a position perpendicular to the plane of thecentral portion 2, and they fit against the outer faces of the flaps 8of the sides 3 when the said flaps 8 are arranged transversely of theends of the box. The flaps 11 are folded inwardly against the innerfaces of the terminal flaps 8 and the hinged foot pieces 12 are engagedbeneath approximately segmental tongues 15 of locking pieces 16, wherebythe foldable flaps 11 of the ends 4 are maintained flat against theinner faces of the terminal flaps 8 and the said foot pieces securelyheld against the inner face of the central rectangular portion 2, whichprevents the foldable ends from becoming disengaged and unfolding whenthe box is subjected to rough handling or hard usage. The outertransverse edges of the locking pieces 16 are preferably arranged at thetransverse score lines 10, and the outer portions of the locking piecesextend beneath the foot pieces, which are received in the crotchesformed by the tongues 15 and the body portions of the locking pieces 16.The locking pieces 16, which are preferably of rectangular form, may beconstructed of any suitable material, such as paste board, card board,metal, or the like, and while only a single locking piece is shown ateach end of the blank in the accompanying drawing, it will be readilyapparent that any desired number of such locking pieces may, of course,be employed to adapt the fastening means to the size and character ofthe box.

The tongues of the locking pieces which engage the foot pieces of thefoldable ends in the manner shown, are adapted to prevent the foldableparts of the box from bulging and the boxpresents practically theappearance of an ordinary box. The locking pieces are secured throughouttheir entire periphery flat against the central rectangular portion ofthe blank, and as the tongues are spaced from the peripheral edgesof thelocking pieces, the strain incident to the holding ofthe foot pieces 12in position is borne by the material of which the locking pieces areconstructed, and such strain is not localized at any point, but isdistributed throughout the entire attached peripheral edge. This resultsin a more secure fastening of the locking pieces than would be the casewere any one portion of the locking pieces subjected to the entirestrain. The foot pieces of the end flaps 11 are. also held in place bythe contents of the box, so that it is practically impossible for thebox to loosen or unfold; after it has received its-con tents.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for When the locking pieces areconstructed 'of paste board, card board, or similar material, they aresecured to the central portion 2 of the blank by glue or other adhesivematerial, or stitched with Wire or thread, but the locking pieces may befastened to the said central portion of the blank in any other suitablemanner.

What is claimed is i A folding box comprising a blank constructed of asingle piece of material and including a central rectangular portion,foldable sides and ends hinged to the central rectangular portion andadapted to be arranged in planes at right angles to the same, the sidesbeing provided with hinged terminal flaps adapted to be arrangedtransversely of the box, and. thefoldable ends being provided withhinged flaps foldable against the inner faces of the said terminal flapsand provided with hinged feet adapted to fit against the centralrectangular portion of the blank, and spaced locking pieces securedthroughout their entire, peripheries flat against the centralrectangular portion of the blank andextending inwardly from theterminals thereof, so as to lie beneath thefoot pieces, said lockingpieces being provided with integral tongues spaced from the peripheraledges of the locking pieces and engaging over and holding the footpieces down upon the said locking pieces and locking the said footpieces and the hinged flaps of the foldable ends firmly. in postion.

In testimony, thatI claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses,

BENJAMIN Bi. MGFADDEN.

Witnesses 1 HELEN HA ROLD, BENJ. L, McFAnnnm five cents each, byaddressing the f Commissioner of Iatents, Washtngton, D. 0

